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Syria The People's Council
The members of the People's Council are elected for four-year
terms by universal suffrage of citizens eighteen years of age or
older in direct and secret ballot. The members, the number of
which is determined by law, are chosen on the basis of singlemember electoral districts. The Constitution requires that at
least half of the council seats be set aside for "workers and
peasants." The 195 members of the People's Council serving in
1987 were elected in 1986.
The People's Council sits in three regular sessions annually
and may be called into special session by the speaker, by the
president, or at the request of one-third of the council members.
The lawmakers are granted parliamentary immunity, and even when
they are charged with criminal offenses, prior consent of the
speaker is required before any prosecution against a member may
proceed.
The functions of the council include the nomination of a
presidential candidate, enactment of laws, discussion of
government policy, approval of the general budget and development
plans, and ratification of treaties. In addition, as part of its
monitoring of the executive branch, the People's Council is
authorized to act on a motion of no-confidence in the Council of
Ministers as a whole or in an individual minister. Such a motion
must be initiated by at least one-fifth of the members and, to
become effective, must be approved by the majority of the
People's Council. If the motion is carried, the Council of
Ministers or the individual minister concerned must resign. The
president can dissolve the People's Council, although the
Constitution does not specify grounds for dissolution. It does
say that the council may not be dissolved more than once for the
same cause.
Data as of April 1987
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